A massive blue wave crashed across America last night as Democratic candidates swept to victory in numerous key races, setting the party up to control both houses of the U.S. Congress by comfortable margins as voters delivered a historic rebuke of the policies of President Donald Trump.
Democrats did better-than-expected everywhere, even in the long-time Republican stronghold of Texas where they are expected to take control of the governor’s office, a U.S. Senate seat, the lieutenant governorship, and all other statewide offices. The party romped in Ohio, another long-time Republican bastion, snagging the governorship, the majority of the state’s U.S. House delegation, and also the U.S. Senate seat that was up for grabs.
Democrats also routed Republicans in state legislature contests, earning new trifecta control in the states of Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin, and possibly even Texas. They even managed to defeat the party’s longtime white whale, Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who had managed to survive for more than 30 years in the Democratic-leaning state. And despite facing a torrent of Republicans’ vile anti-Muslim bigotry, Abdul El-Sayed triumphed in his bid to become a U.S. senator from Michigan.
Faced with such an overwhelming defeat of his candidates, Trump accepted Republicans’ defeat in interviews with the New York Times and his allies at Fox News Channel, even saying of Democrats: “I think they did a good job.”
And indeed they did. But as sweet as Tuesday’s victories are, they must be only the beginning of the long-term struggle to restore America’s democratic inheritance and expand democracy in the face of the decades-long assault it has faced from the reactionary right.
In keeping with the inspiring vision of Captain John Paul Jones who is reputed to have said that “I have not yet begun to fight,” while in the midst of a naval battle, here are a few observations:
Democrats’ massive wins are a total repudiation of the short-sighted party strategists who have enjoyed undue influence in Democratic politics since Rahm Emanuel was the top political adviser of then-president Barack Obama. Under Emanuel’s watch (both in the White House and as the honcho of various party organizations), Democrats pulled back massively from most of America, leaving numerous state and local party organizations with almost no national money as they became obsessed with only winning the president and “optimal” seats in urban areas. The horrible divisions between states and between urban and rural that have plagued our politics are the direct result of these decisions.
Since he came into office in 2025, however, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin reversed these policies and began funneling money to state parties. That money became the critical support base for so many of the candidates who won. Despite complaints from the failed consultants he displaced, Martin’s approach has been vindicated.
Yesterday’s victories should teach a permanent lesson to Democrats that everyone who believes in the values of democracy, reason, and care is part of our effort—regardless of where they live. Tuesday made it very clear that our country is filled with people who believe in the America that is and can be, and that we must support them in their efforts.
